RECALLING Article 28(b) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization
concerning the functions of the Committee,
RECALLING ALSO resolution A.886(21), by which the Assembly resolved that the function of
adopting performance standards and technical specifications, as well as amendments
thereto, shall be performed by the Maritime Safety Committee and/or the Marine
Environment Protection Committee, as appropriate, on behalf of the Organization,
RECALLING FURTHER resolution A.947(23), by which the Assembly acknowledged the need for
increased focus on human-related activities in the safe operation of ships, and the need
to achieve and maintain high standards of safety and environmental protection for the
purpose of significantly reducing maritime casualties,
NOTING that, while SOLAS regulation II-2/4.2.1 contains provisions related
specifically to the minimum flashpoint requirement for marine oil fuel, other aspects
relating to fuel oil safety are specified in regulation 18 of MARPOL Annex VI,
NOTING ALSO that regulation 18.9.6 of MARPOL Annex VI provides that Parties to
MARPOL Annex VI undertake to inform the Organization, for transmission to Parties and
Member States of the Organization, of all cases where fuel oil suppliers have failed to
meet the requirements specified in regulations 14 or 18 of the Annex,
NOTING FURTHER that regulation 18.9.4 of MARPOL Annex VI provides that Parties to
MARPOL Annex VI undertake to take action as appropriate against fuel oil suppliers that
have been found to deliver fuel oil that does not comply with that stated on the bunker
delivery note (BDN) and that Appendix V of MARPOL Annex VI contains the minimum
mandatory information to be included in the BDN,
MINDFUL that flashpoint is not part of the minimum mandatory information to be included
in the BDN,
MINDFUL ALSO that SOLAS regulation VI/5-1 requires that ships are provided with a
material safety data sheet (MSDS) prior to the bunkering of oil fuel, where the
flashpoint of the oil fuel should be reported (resolution MSC.286(86)),
RECALLING MSC-MEPC.5/Circ.15 on Delivery of compliant fuel oil by
suppliers, approved by the Marine Environment Protection Committee, at its
seventy-fourth session, and the Maritime Safety Committee, at its 101st session,
RECOGNIZING the overall objectives of enhancing the safety of ships relating to use of
oil fuel and ensuring that only safe and compliant oil fuel is delivered to ships,
RECOGNIZING ALSO the need to further consider oil fuel safety issues, not limited to the
flashpoint, and the need to enhance the Global Integrated Shipping Information System
(GISIS) to facilitate reporting of oil fuel safety issues,
HAVING CONSIDERED interim measures to enhance the safety of ships relating to the use of
oil fuel at its 101st session,
RECOMMENDS SOLAS Contracting Governments to:
1 INFORM the Organization, for transmission to Parties and Member States of
the Organization, of all confirmed cases where oil fuel suppliers delivered oil fuel
failing to meet the requirements specified in SOLAS regulation II-2/4.2.1, taking into account
regulation 18.9.6 of MARPOL Annex VI;
2 TAKE ACTION as appropriate against oil fuel suppliers in confirmed cases
of deliveries of oil fuel that does not comply with the requirements specified in SOLAS regulation II-2/4.2.1, taking into account
regulation 18.9.4 of MARPOL Annex VI;
3 ENCOURAGE the widest possible application of the latest edition of relevant industry
standardsfootnote and guidance to enhance the safety of ships related to
supply and use of oil fuel;
4 INFORM the Organization, for transmission to Parties and Member States of the
Organization, of confirmed cases where oil fuel suppliers had delivered fuel that
jeopardized the safety of ships or personnel; or adversely affected the performance of
the machinery.